| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Poll: If you were hiring a freelance translator/interpreter, would age (60/65+) influence your decision? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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| Unwise hiring decisions? | May 20 |
Baran Keki wrote:
What if the reviewer/checker is a Gen Z twat, whose idea of written composition consists of social media posts? Won't they fuck up the translation despite hiring an old age pensioner?
They usually pay respect and don't change anything in pro-level translations, at least not much. And this thread is assuming that the pensioner is a pro (who has worked their way through all these crazy years—quite an achievement). I'm for merit-based hiring: if you try to get around it in our profession, the results will be quite sad. We had a time when all our permanent staff members (reviewers and translator/reviewers) were checking each other's work, and I never saw my work ruined by someone much younger. I have two Gen Z folks in my department in your count from 1997. I selected only one of them out of hundreds of others (i. e. checked her test and decided it was outstanding). Searching for candidates is difficult if you want quality. Maybe my employer doesn't even want it, it's just my thing
| | | | Mario Chávez
Sjedinjene Američke Države
Local time: 12:41
Member (2024)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Assuming we're dealing with a competent translator, recently graduated from university:
4-year university degree attained (not necessarily translation studies); so our translator is around 23 years old.
Excellent writing skills perfected during university years (not common but it's been known to happen).
Competent in a foreign language: can read, speak and write it at a university level (almost professional).
Zero experience so far translating materials. Our gradua... See more Assuming we're dealing with a competent translator, recently graduated from university:
4-year university degree attained (not necessarily translation studies); so our translator is around 23 years old.
Excellent writing skills perfected during university years (not common but it's been known to happen).
Competent in a foreign language: can read, speak and write it at a university level (almost professional).
Zero experience so far translating materials. Our graduate here has acquired a degree and has excellent writing skills in their mother tongue and begins to write competently in a foreign language at a university level.
Conclusion: I find our 23-year-old candidate here as ineligible for professional-level translation work.
It takes 5-8 years for a promising translation graduate to become competent.
Philip Lees wrote:
Why only age (60/65+)? Why not, for example, age (20/25-)?
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| | | | Mario Chávez
Sjedinjene Američke Države
Local time: 12:41
Member (2024)
English to Spanish
+ ...
| Ugh, not AI again, please | May 20 |
I don't know if you tried to write what's below with a sense of humor. But age is never irrelevant in any profession or occupation.
Lingua 5B wrote:
No, in MTPE, age is irrelevant. AI is ageless.
| | | | Mario Chávez
Sjedinjene Američke Države
Local time: 12:41
Member (2024)
English to Spanish
+ ...
| Experience, not age, takes the cake | May 20 |
In the Skyfall (James Bond) movie (2012), Q said “Age is no guarantee of efficiency,” to which Bond replies “Youth is no guarantee of innovation.” I found this simple exchange quite useful, meme friendly even. But as Lieven indicates, years of experience are more important than age.
In the United States, where I live and work, the local culture adores youth and childhood. In the '50s, I assume, youth was a thing of wonder and expectation. Since the '80s or '90s, again I assu... See more In the Skyfall (James Bond) movie (2012), Q said “Age is no guarantee of efficiency,” to which Bond replies “Youth is no guarantee of innovation.” I found this simple exchange quite useful, meme friendly even. But as Lieven indicates, years of experience are more important than age.
In the United States, where I live and work, the local culture adores youth and childhood. In the '50s, I assume, youth was a thing of wonder and expectation. Since the '80s or '90s, again I assume, youth has become a chalice of unexpected, undeserved and unearned wisdom, wit, with expertise driven by luck and a smile trumping years of experience. Just look at the countless summer movies we have here.
Of course, experience can be maligned if it only consists of the sum total of mistakes that didn't yield any lesson, any wisdom. And experience in our profession is much more than the sum total of all the projects completed, all the clients served, all the invoices collected.
Lieven Malaise wrote:
Age wouldn't be a factor as such, years of experience would. The development (for the better) a serious translator goes through through the years is immense. ▲ Collapse
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| | Mario Chávez
Sjedinjene Američke Države
Local time: 12:41
Member (2024)
English to Spanish
+ ...
No, age is not just a number. It's much more.
Ageism is an important problem deserving of better than just glib remarks.
Claudio Machado Junior wrote:
Age is just a number.
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I'm younger than that and the rest of my body doesn't work as well as it used to, so wouldn't it be a little arrogant to argue that my brain does?
Sure, wisdom and experience are useful. But age tends also to bring failing eyesight, arthritic fingers, forgetfulness, general slowing of the mind, falling out of touch with the modern world, inflexibility...
But no, I wouldn't base my decision on age.
| | | | Lingua 5B 
Bosna i Hercegovina
Local time: 18:41
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
| Also, individually | May 21 |
I saw a man who had a stroke, he recovered but has forgetfulness, problems with speech patterns, etc. However, one time he danced all evening at a birthday party, and in rhytmic correct patterns. He is close to 80. He still has brain fog, forgetfulness, speech range issues. So it seems like motorics and muscles are somewhat separate from cognition, as his dance was correct, endured and logical. I asked others: how come he danced like the young people/all the others and for so long, they told me ... See more I saw a man who had a stroke, he recovered but has forgetfulness, problems with speech patterns, etc. However, one time he danced all evening at a birthday party, and in rhytmic correct patterns. He is close to 80. He still has brain fog, forgetfulness, speech range issues. So it seems like motorics and muscles are somewhat separate from cognition, as his dance was correct, endured and logical. I asked others: how come he danced like the young people/all the others and for so long, they told me it was just instinctual and mechanical (something he knew from before), but he did forget and keeps forgeting other things he knew from before.
[Edited at 2025-05-21 10:39 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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Baran Keki
Turska
Local time: 19:41
Member
English to Turkish
| Speak for yourself | May 21 |
Chris Says Bye wrote:
Sure, wisdom and experience are useful. But age tends also to bring failing eyesight, arthritic fingers, forgetfulness, general slowing of the mind, falling out of touch with the modern world, inflexibility...
I remember this old chap, who after retiring from the US army (as a colonel no less!) broke into porn business and shagged all manner of voluptuous women at the not so tender age of 60:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Cummings
I don't know about his mental faculties (though he had BA and MA degrees), but his member apparently had a life of its own. He sure enjoyed himself unlike most of us translators here..
| | | | | Old dogs and new tricks | May 21 |
Baran Keki wrote:
I remember this old chap, who after retiring from the US army (as a colonel no less!) broke into porn business and shagged all manner of voluptuous women at the not so tender age of 60
I hadn't thought of pivoting into pornography. Do you think it'd matter that I have zero experience fixing photocopiers?
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Next: would you hire a vagrant.... or someone born out of wedlock?
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Chris Says Bye wrote:
Baran Keki wrote:
I remember this old chap, who after retiring from the US army (as a colonel no less!) broke into porn business and shagged all manner of voluptuous women at the not so tender age of 60
I hadn't thought of pivoting into pornography. Do you think it'd matter that I have zero experience fixing photocopiers?
I think that's probably something you can pick up while on the job.
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Lingua 5B
Bosna i Hercegovina
Local time: 18:41
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
Baran, I must admit that comment was an absolute bomb, nobody expected that, and I laughed hard, hilarious. Well, now you are consulting, pardon empowering, translators who are approaching 60 with ideas on what they can do and how to transition, particularly given the current crisis in the industry. Good job, you should run a webinar. But when I think twice, methaphorically speaking, we are already in the porn industry.
| | | | P.L.F. Persio
Holandija
Local time: 18:41
English to Italian
+ ...
| It's never too late... | May 22 |
Baran Keki wrote:
Chris Says Bye wrote:
Sure, wisdom and experience are useful. But age tends also to bring failing eyesight, arthritic fingers, forgetfulness, general slowing of the mind, falling out of touch with the modern world, inflexibility...
I remember this old chap, who after retiring from the US army (as a colonel no less!) broke into porn business and shagged all manner of voluptuous women at the not so tender age of 60:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Cummings
I don't know about his mental faculties (though he had BA and MA degrees), but his member apparently had a life of its own. He sure enjoyed himself unlike most of us translators here..
This delightful old Japanese lady tells it all: https://giannisimone.substack.com/p/meet-the-oldest-porn-actress-in-the
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